Persistent change is the one constant that everyone who occupies a space with the gambling industry can truly rely on. With an ecosystem that evolves so rapidly, the ability to pivot and adapt can ultimately be the difference between success and failure.
This is especially true when it comes to the critical remits of HR and corporate culture. Two key elements that could be the ultimate difference between employees remaining engaged, and switching off before eventually departing for pastures new.
In conversation with SBC News, Olesia Sarkan, Growe Head of Growth, Rewards & Automation, elaborates on all things L&D, employee wellbeing and corporate culture.
In addition to touching on the keys to success regarding such issues, Sarkan comments on the key challenges that can be faced, how to ensure employees feel valued and the importance of remaining flexible.
SBC News: What would you identify as the key to success when creating a company culture to ensure optimal business performance and forge an environment where staff feel motivated and driven?
Olesia Sarkan: The foundation of a healthy company culture is trust. It serves as the bedrock upon which openness, delegation, and business objectives are built. Every company has a culture, even if it hasn’t been explicitly defined or articulated. However, not every culture is rooted in trust.
In our highly competitive and fast-paced industry, a company’s culture is shaped by its commitment to agility and adaptability. Success lies in fostering horizontal connections – encouraging collaboration across teams and empowering employees to make decisions at the same level where challenges arise.
This approach not only accelerates innovation but also creates an environment where individuals feel valued, motivated, and driven to achieve collective goals.
SBCN: What would you identify as the critical challenges that can be faced when it comes to these issues, and how does Growe overcome these?
OS: One of the key challenges in building a trust-based culture is ensuring consistency – trust is easy to break but takes time to build. In a fast-paced and competitive industry, companies often struggle with maintaining transparency while making quick decisions.
Without clear communication and alignment, employees may feel disconnected or hesitant to take ownership of their work.
Another challenge is balancing agility with structure. While adaptability is crucial, too much flexibility without clear guidelines can lead to confusion and inefficiencies.
Encouraging horizontal collaboration also requires breaking down silos, which can be difficult in organisations with deeply ingrained hierarchies. Growe overcomes these challenges by embedding trust into its core business practices.
Transparency is prioritised through open communication channels, regular feedback loops, and clear decision-making frameworks. Employees are empowered to take initiative, supported by a culture that values both autonomy and accountability.
Additionally, Growe fosters horizontal connections by encouraging knowledge sharing. By creating an environment where we encourage and demonstrate, through examples, how to delegate decision-making to subordinates.
SBCN: As we have learned in recent times, numerous factors, many beyond our control, can affect employees and workplace culture. How does Growe remain flexible when it comes to such unforeseen circumstances?
OS: When it comes to flexibility, we even have a core value – ‘Be Ready for Change.’ This reflects our commitment to rapid adaptation and swift decision-making.
At the same time, as HR, we strive to provide and showcase other anchors of stability. For example, no matter what happens, we remain a people-oriented company and always support our colleagues. We emphasise well-being as a key way to sustain oneself in a fast-changing environment.
Moreover, we highlight human values, not just business goals – such as patriotism, respect for the vulnerable, and active engagement in supporting Ukraine. These principles help create a culture that is both resilient and deeply rooted in meaningful connections.
SBCN: How does the company invest in employee growth in terms of personal and professional development? How are these prioritised?
OS: First and foremost, I want to emphasise that development is a personal responsibility of each specialist. The company can only provide opportunities.
For example, we offer an annual learning budget, internal leadership courses for managers at different levels, and highly qualified experts in our internal university. These experts create training programs based on the requests of specific departments or individuals.
It has been proven that corporate group learning is 65% more effective than individual learning. Therefore, we strive to meet as many development needs as possible through company-provided courses.
Our priority is skill development aligned with individual development plans and business needs. This means that any personal growth within the framework of the plan directly contributes to the company’s overall skill development.
SBCN: Do issues such as the above help to enforce a strong company culture that ensures employees feel valued and their voices are heard? Does this help foster a culture of internal growth?
OS: Absolutely, this helps establish a unified lexicon and shared understanding of terminology. Collaborative learning among colleagues from different departments fosters the horizontal connections we need, ultimately accelerating the company’s growth.
We actively inform employees about learning opportunities and highlight career promotions. The quality of our programs is quite high – we draw inspiration from Harvard, INSEAD, and Stanford.
As a result, specialists apply for training programs at a ratio of up to three applicants per spot. This, in turn, drives the entire company to strive for continuous self-improvement.
SBCN: With regards to all the above, what plans does Growe have to strengthen its stance on such issues through 2025?
OS: When it comes to culture, it is a living entity, and this year we are focusing on promotion of trust. We have embedded two key messages into all our corporate activities: trust is the foundation of great achievements, and well-being – comprehensive care for oneself and one’s family provides the strength to succeed.
Regarding our corporate university, we are continuing our leadership programs, creating a catalog of the most in-demand training courses, and ensuring that our L&D manager plays an active role in career advising for specialists.
We are also developing specialised content tailored to the needs of the iGaming and betting industries, and expanding collaboration with other companies to exchange expertise.
I warmly invite colleagues to connect with us. And, of course, we continue to learn ourselves, explore the world, and implement the best practices within our company!
